The Progressive Agency Podcast

Brian Gerstner is an agency leader who excels in providing white-label services to agencies around the globe. He has over 2 decades of experience in the industry and having partnered up with more than 50 agencies he knows what aligns with the requirements of clients. Brian ensures that he provides a commitment with an exceptional partnership that results in a win-win situation for all.

In this episode of The Progressive Agency Podcast, we're chatting with Brian Gerstner, President of White Label IQ, to discuss how agencies can benefit from strategic partnerships.

Brian emphasizes the importance of finding a partner that communicates well, understands your agency's needs, and can be trusted. He explains how partnerships allow agencies to scale and offer new services without the major upfront costs and risks of hiring in-house. Strategic partnerships provide agencies with more flexibility, talent access, and the ability to focus on their core strengths.

He also notes how the globalized workforce today means agencies can access top talent anywhere, rather than being limited to their local area when hiring employees.

Join us to hear Brian's insights into leveraging strategic partnerships to efficiently grow your agency.

• What agency owners should look for in strategic partnerships
• Why communication is key in this type of relationship
• How to leverage referrals to find strategic partnerships
• How a strategic partnership can help in scaling your business
• Why great talent is a must in order for agencies to stay competitive

• Website: https://www.whitelabeliq.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/white-label-iq/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WhiteLabelIQ/

Sara Snyder is a Certified Public Accountant with a background in accounting since 2017. Currently, she serves as an Account Manager and Outsourced CFO at Craig Cody and Company, Inc., specializing in advanced tax reduction with the designation of Certified Tax Coach.

In this episode, we discussed an issue that impacts the accuracy of your financial statements — recognizing revenue in the correct period using accrual-basis accounting.

Many agency owners think they're using accrual-basis accounting, but in reality, they're often doing it incorrectly. To teach us the correct way to use this accounting method, I invited Sara Snyder to give us some tips and tricks.

She explains why it's sometimes better to record revenue as deferred or unearned rather than recording it right away. We go over a few different scenarios where this approach makes more sense than traditional revenue reporting.

While it requires some upfront effort, proper accrual-based revenue recognition provides a much clearer view of actual monthly profitability. This enables better forecasting and staffing assessments and ultimately increases the perceived value if you decide to sell your agency down the road.

Don't continue distorting your metrics. Take the steps now to implement proper accrual accounting and revenue recognition. Your financial statements, and your business, will be much better off.

• What circumstances can throw off accrual-based accounting
• What's a magic spreadsheet?
• Making sure your revenue is matching expenses
• How to properly set up payments so they don't mess with your revenue numbers
• The benefits of doing accrual-basis accounting the right way
• How long does it take to fix your numbers if they're off base?

• Website: http://www.craigcodyandcompany.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sara-snyder-cpa-ctc-321596191/
• LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/craig-cody-and-company/

Kevin Hourigan is the President and Co-Founder of Spinutech, an award-winning digital marketing agency with 160+ team members across the U.S. In that capacity, Kevin and his partners lead their team of digital experts to focus on growing his clients' businesses.

With an entrepreneurial technology background, Kevin is an accomplished communicator, strategist, and leader. He has spoken alongside brands including Google, Facebook, Carnival Cruise Lines, and General Motors, and presented the keynote at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Small Business Summit. He has been recognized as Leader of the Year by The Tampa Chamber of Commerce; Technology Leader of the Year by the Tampa Bay Technology Forum; Marketer of the Year by Tampa Bay American Advertising Federation; and as "Ultimate CEO" by the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

In this episode of the Progressive Agency Podcast, I spoke with Kevin Hourigan, President and Co-Founder of Spinutech. Kevin shared his journey, starting from offering simple 3-page websites for $500 in 1996 to building a company with over 160 employees today.

Kevin takes us through some of the key lessons he's learned throughout his career about scaling and growing a business. He emphasized the importance of having the right financial foundation and understanding the true health of your business. Kevin also highlighted the importance of tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) across various aspects of the business, from marketing and sales to delivery and collections.

Throughout our conversation, Kevin's insights underscored the significance of finding the right balance between delighting clients, retaining top talent, and ensuring profitability. His experience serves as a valuable guide for agency owners seeking sustainable growth while maintaining a strong company culture.

• The financial lessons Kevin learned from the dot-com bubble
• Knowing how to balance your budget in different stages of growth
• Strategies for agencies looking to grow and scale their business
• The key KPIs Spinutech tracks to ensure efficiency
• The importance of trusting others — both clients and employees
• Proactive tax planning as you grow your business

• Website: https://www.spinutech.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinhourigan/
• Facebook Personal: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.hourigan
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hourigankev

Brett Harrison started Right Click Computer Solutions in 2011 with the goal of helping small businesses utilize technology to run their businesses efficiently and effectively. Right Click is a cybersecurity-first IT provider that works with businesses to make sure that their networks and data are secured and protected 24/7.

Encountering a cyber attack is extremely costly and the last place any business ever wants to find itself in. Additionally, clients get access to technicians that assist with any technical related issues as they arise. Right Click takes pride in helping its clients achieve their goals and believes that implementing the right technology is an integral part of a successful business.

In this episode of the Progressive Agency Podcast, we continue our conversation with Brett Harrison, who discusses important cybersecurity measures that business owners should implement.

This time, we're getting into the do's and don'ts of multifactor authentication, an inexpensive and crucial step to securing your sensitive business data. Without it, you're leaving your agency vulnerable to cyber attacks that can compromise your data and security.

Don't leave your agency vulnerable to cybercriminals. Tune in to this episode to learn the best practices behind cybersecurity and multifactor authentication to secure your agency's sensitive information.

• What is multifactor authentication?
• Different types of multifactor authentication
• What happens if a cyber attacker gets into your systems
• How business owners should be protecting themselves and their agency
• Securing your company email accounts
• What does this cost?
• How an IT professional can help you make your agency's data more secure

• Website: https://www.rightclickcomputersolutions.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-harrison-10a53825/

Brett Harrison started Right Click Computer Solutions in 2011 with the goal of helping small businesses utilize technology to run their businesses efficiently and effectively. Right Click is a cybersecurity-first IT provider that works with businesses to make sure that their networks and data are secured and protected 24/7. Encountering a cyber attack is extremely costly and the last place any business ever wants to find itself in. Additionally, clients get access to technicians that assist with any technical related issues as they arise. Right Click takes pride in helping its clients achieve their goals and believes that implementing the right technology is an integral part of a successful business.

If your agency is using a Google Doc to keep track of shared passwords, it's time for a security checkup. This week on The Progressive Agency Podcast, we're talking with Brett Harrison about how agencies can improve their password protection best practices, safely perform backups on their systems, and teach employees how to identify security threats before they become an issue.

Brett shares practical advice for businesses to become more secure with tactics like multi-factor authentication, cyber awareness, and the best practices for performing regular system backups.

• How technology has changed for agencies post-pandemic
• The best backup system to have in place
• How often should you run backups?
• Testing and monitoring backups to ensure functionality
• How to store and share passwords securely across your company
• Why employees should always work on company-owned equipment
• Training and testing employees on cyber awareness to prevent cyber attacks

• Website: https://www.rightclickcomputersolutions.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-harrison-10a53825/

Craig Cody is a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Tax Coach™, business owner, and the host of The Progressive Dentist Podcast and The Progressive Agency Podcast. Prior to his current work, Craig spent seventeen years with the NYPD, where he retired as a Lieutenant in September 2000. Craig is an expert in helping his clients legally reduce their tax liabilities and keep more of their money.

This week, we're revisiting a research study conducted about a year ago where participants asked some intriguing questions. We'll pick out a few of those questions and discuss them more in-depth.

The most common questions we had all boiled down to one answer: communication. Regular communication, at least monthly, between a business owner and their CPA allows the CPA to truly understand the owner's personal financial goals, growth goals, and exit/transition plans.

Don't treat your CPA relationship as just a once-a-year tax filing — make it an ongoing advisory partnership to receive the best advice and money-saving results that you expect.

• What clients want from a CPA relationship
• Knowing your growth and transition goals
• How to have a CPA who will ask you questions about your goals
• Communication goes both ways
• Giving your CPA 60-90 days to fully understand your business

• Website: www.craigcodyandcompany.com
• Twitter: @CraigC2742
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craigcodycpa

Henry DeVries is CEO and co-owner of Indie Books International Inc., an Oceanside, CA company he co-founded in 2014, publishing over 150 titles. He works with agency owners, business leaders, and strategic consultants who want to attract more high-paying clients by marketing with a book and a speech by publishing a book they are proud of.

In the last ten years, he has helped ghostwrite, edit, and co-author more than 300 business books, including his McGraw-Hill bestseller How to Close a Deal Like Warren Buffett now in five languages, including Chinese. He was formerly the careers columnist for the San Diego Union-Tribune. In 2024, he launched the news website AgencyOwnerNews.com. He is personally the author or co-author of 20 marketing books, including Trusted Advisor Confidential, Bringing In the Business, Marketing With A Book For Agency Owners, Rainmaker Confidential, Self-Marketing Secrets, Marketing With a Book, Persuade With a Story, Defining You, Build Your Consulting Practice, and Client Attraction Chain Reaction.

Having a book is the #1 marketing tool, but it's the starting line, not the finish line.

In this week's episode, Henry DeVries shares his tried-and-true method for attracting high-paying, right-fit clients without having to do all the heavy lifting of traditional prospecting. His key to success is writing a book and giving it away for free — yes, for free.

Henry shares that when you position yourself as relentlessly helpful by openly sharing your expertise, it automatically sticks in a person's mind that you're the go-to person for that particular topic. Next time they need someone to help them with a problem, you already are in the back of their head, and they have tangible evidence to show you're the right person for the job.

Join us in this episode of the Progressive Agency Podcast to learn more about positioning yourself as a subject matter expert to attract right-fit clients by building trust upfront by sharing your knowledge openly with prospects and clients alike.

• What is authority marketing and how can it generate more income?
• Writing a book is the starting line, not the finish line
• The Magnificent 7 of promoting your book
• Building trust by being relentlessly helpful
• Getting your face out there to promote your book
• The ROI of digital vs print books
• Getting people to experience you as the author

• Indie Books International: https://indiebooksintl.com/resources/
• Agency Owner News: https://agencyownernews.com/
• LinkedIn Personal: http://www.linkedin.com/in/henryjdevries
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085340613920

Noel loves connecting people. Professionally, he runs JobRack.eu, where he helps businesses hire remote team members from Eastern Europe and South Africa. Personally, he loves doing weird and wonderful things to provoke great conversations.

The hiring market right now is rough. Finding and retaining top talent is more difficult than it has been in years, which leaves agency owners in a tough position. Rather than toughing it out and hoping to find a diamond in the rough, there are other ways we can adapt to still find great workers within our hiring budget.

This week's guest, Noel Andrews, is giving us a quick overview of how agency owners can benefit from hiring remote workers from around the world. His company specializes in helping businesses transition from using only W2 employees to finding talented contractors who are just as effective as salaried employees, if not more so.

We'll cover topics from knowing the right time to hire (especially when scaling your business) to navigating the etiquette behind hiring independent contractors in other countries.

• The main benefit of hiring global remote workers
• Hitting the hiring sweet spot in terms of utilization
• Navigating language and confidence barriers with clients
• How to handle time differences — how much overlap is required?
• Adapting PTO to cover varying customs and holidays on your team
• How hiring remote workers can transform your business
• Looking to others for help getting started

• Website: https://jobrack.eu/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/noelandrews/

Serena Morse, CPC, QPA, QKC, QKA, is Co-Owner and CEO of Carpenter Morse Group, a non producing third-party administrator that has provided administrative compliance services for qualified retirement plans nationally for over 45 years. Serena has been a leading consultant and educator in this area of study for over 20 years. She has earned several respected credentials from the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA), including the Qualified Pension Administrator designation (QPA), Qualified 401(k) Consultant (QKC), Qualified 401 k Administrator designation (QKA), and the highest awarded designation from ASPPA, the Certified Pension Consultant or CPC designation. She is a proud Alumni of the University of Florida Warrington College of Business.

In this week's episode, Serena breaks down tax-qualified retirement plans, the new benefits available to business owners under certain plans, and why agency owners should work with a TPA (third-party administrator) to set them up.

Under the new tax code, business owners are entitled to a breadth of tax credits for contributing to their employees' retirement plans, but the regulations are complicated. To fully understand who is eligible, the exemptions, credits, limits, etc., finding a TPA like Serena who is qualified to advise you on these new retirement plan benefits is essential.

• What is a TPA, and how does it differ from a CPA?
• What are tax-qualified plans, and how do they work?
• What every business owner should know when setting up a new plan
• Tax credits available under new plans
• Who is eligible for the new tax credits
• The compliance pitfalls business owners face when setting up tax-qualified plans
• Using your TPA to help stay on top of deadlines

• Website (business): https://carpentermorse.com/cmg-reviews/
• Email (Serena): [email protected]

George is the "Chief HubSpot Helper" owner at George B. Thomas, LLC. George helps companies streamline and grow by using the right HubSpot CRM, marketing, sales, service, operations, and CMS tools. George has more than 30 years of sales & marketing experience and has been using HubSpot since 2012. George is a vault of valuable information, tactics, and strategies with a record-breaking thirty-five plus HubSpot Academy certifications, including Inbound Marketing, Inbound Sales, Contextual Marketing, CMS Implementation, Email Marketing, and Content Marketing.

In this week's episode, George shares how agency owners can begin integrating and implementing HubSpot tools into their systems and processes to streamline sales and marketing to make their jobs simpler.

From starting out at a small design agency, he fell in love with HubSpot and all it can do to make businesses run smoother at a reasonable price. Now, he teaches business owners how they can easily fill their sales funnels and keep up with clients with just a few clicks.

If you're curious about HubSpot tools and integrations but feel overwhelmed about where to begin, this episode will give you a good beginner crash course on HubSpot's capabilities.

• 3 major ways HubSpot helps someone run a business more effectively
• Getting started on HubSpot for free and scaling up
• How HubSpot can grow with your business
• HubSpot tools that help free up your time
• The power of learning new tools and skills as a business owner
• Getting 1% better each day with a growth mindset

• Website: https://www.georgebthomas.com/
• Website (business): https://sidekickstrategies.com/
• LinkedIn (personal): https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebthomas/
• Schedule a call with George: https://www.georgebthomas.com/get-started
• HubHeroes Podcast: https://sidekickstrategies.com/hubheroes-podcast